Already Gone
by Myra109
Summary: Leo Valdez knew what he had to do to defeat Gaea, and the crew can't stop him 'cause he's already gone. Language, character death, based off of the song by Kelly Clarkson


_Not nearly as good as my I'm With You story, but I think it's pretty decent. This is about Leo's relationships with the crew and how he thinks his sacrifice will affect them. This is an AU where Leo never met Calypso because I want it to be about him and the crew. Read and Review!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO or the song the fic is based off of._**

* * *

Leo Valdez has made many mistakes, but he knew what sacrifice was. He knew when one had to be made for the greater good, and his sacrifice seemed to be the only way to defeat Gaea.

The son of Hesphestus knew that the crew would be devastated, or at least Jason and Piper would be. But then again... they were never meant to stay together. Their friendships were flawed from the start.

Piper and Jason became a couple and forgot about him as he stood in the shadows of Bunker 9, killing himself in order to complete the Argo 2. They had each other while he had no one...

Annabeth had been so stressed out about her boyfriend that they never really did bond. Maybe they would have on the quest if the stupid eidolon hadn't possessed him and made him fire on the Roman Camp. Now, she couldn't save him if she wanted to...

Percy didn't like him after the eidolon incident obviously. He'd just fired on the place that Percy had taken under his wing and protected against all odds. There was no way the son of Poseidon would stop him if it meant protecting his true friends and family. Leo wasn't included in that...

With Hazel... well, you all know what went wrong there. He looked like her old boyfriend and that hurt Hazel a lot. It not only got in the way of her relationship with Frank, but also made every glance at him painful. She'd be better off without him around...

And Frank. What with Hazel thinking that Leo was Sammy and him having a slight crush on her, the son of Mars was not a fan of him. Leo wasn't even sure why he teased the big guy when he was so nice, but he couldn't help it. Frank wouldn't even care...

The mechanic slouched against the wheel of the Argo 2. He was the seventh wheel, the odd one out, and that made him perfect for the job. No one would be utterly broken if he died, not like Percy if Annabeth was killed or Jason with Piper.

Besides, he did have an oath to honor. He never told the crew this obviously; it would just worry them. When he was eight, he swore to avenge his mother, to defeat the Dirt Woman at any cost, and he was going to do just that.

Because of his promise, he knew from the beginning, from the moment he heard that prophecy, that he was going to be the one to die. Leo didn't really care, but he couldn't tell the crew that. Even if they would heal after he died, they would all go to the ends of the earth to save him. If this war was going to be won, he couldnt let that happen.

The son of blacksmiths spent the next few days working on a very important letter, going through almost an entire pad of paper trying to get it right. How do you get a goodbye note right when you really care about the people and they care about you?

When Leo told Frank and Hazel about his plans, he hadn't expected what happened the following night.

The commander of the Argo 2 was just sketching some blue prints on his desk when a sharp, somewhat angry, knock jolted him from his focus. Opening it, he prepared to snap at the person who interrupted his work when he stopped short at the sight of Hazel. The daughter of Pluto shoved past him into the room and slammed the door.

"Leo," she whispered, tears brimming her golden eyes, "are you sure there's no other way?"

Leo sighed. "Hazel, this is the only way to stop Gaea and it's better to lose one life than lose a hundred, isn't it?"

She shrugged. "I guess, but it doesn't always feel that way when you really care about the person dying."

Leo snorted. "You're just saying that because I look like Sammy."

"No, I'm not!" She almost shouted. Luckily, the walls were soundproof or they'd have half the crew down here by now, demanding to know what all the yelling was about. "I'm saying this because I care about you, Leo. Not because you look like Sammy or act like him or because you're apart of the quest. I'm saying this because I care about you, Leo Valdez, son of Hesphestus, Repair Boy. Jeesh, I've never known someone with as little self worth as you!"

He stared at her grimly. "It's one of my many talents."

Hazel smiled, weakly. "I'm just saying. Jason and Piper can't live without you and Frank cares even if he doesn't show it. Percy will blame himself for the rest of his life and who else is Annabeth going to debate about architecture with?" She tried to laugh, but it came out kind of choked.

Leo is tempted to hug her, but he doesn't. He feels that even friendly hugs cross the line with her being Frank's girl and all. "Look, Hazel, this is the only way. You can't change fate and that alone means I'm already gone. No one can change it."

She nods and they head to the mess hall for dinner, but Leo's words are whirling around in both of their minds. _Already gone..._

* * *

Leo does a lot of thinking and remembering over the next few days.

He goes through a box of old photographs and reminisces over the times with his kind foster families and his friends and his mother and, of course, the crew. Sure, Leo Valdez had had a screwed up life, but only as he rummaged though photos and memories does he realize that he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Annabeth walks in half way through it, without even knocking. She laughs at his irritated expression.

"What are you looking at?" She questioned, looking at the photos with her brow furrowed.

"Memories," he answered, simply.

"Why?" The blonde asked, sitting on the bed.

"Well, I thought if I look through my memories, it'll keep my fighting. Or in simpler terms, it'll make me remember that I've been through to much shit in my life to give up now," he explained.

The child of wisdom chuckles. "You have a point."

"We all gotta have something to keep us going."

She hesitates and he looks at her weirdly. Annabeth Chase never hesitates. "What keeps you going?" She finally mumbled.

Leo shrugged. "My mom, I guess. Gaea killed her several years ago and I'm going to avenge my mother by defeating Dirt Woman once and for all. What about you?"

Normally, Leo wouldn't be spilling his guts to Annabeth, who he barely knows, but he was going to die in a few days, so to hell with it.

"Well," she contemplated it for a moment, "my life with Percy, I guess. After the war, we have plans of settling down in New Rome and going to college. If Gaea takes over, we can't do that. That's what keeps me going."

Leo smiles at her. "I like how you see yourself with a future, a bright one at that. I don't know where I'm going and I can't see anything past this war anyway."

Annabeth nods. "You'll find out someday because we're gonna win. No matter what."

At that moment, Percy knocks on the door frame to announce his presence. "Hello, peoples. Annabeth, Piper needs some help with the secret weapon thingy you designed. Leo, you better come to; you're our Repair Boy,"

The pair nod and stand to follow the Sea Prince, but Leo's mind is far away.

' _Yeah,'_ he thinks, _'we'll win. No matter what.'_

* * *

The battle occurs three days later. Piper screams and fights as the ship explodes with their friend and the Earth goddess inside, but Jason holds firm. If she keeps fighting, both of them will tumble out of the sky and meet the same fate as Leo Valdez.

The son of Jupiter sets Piper down on the ground and frantically searches the sky for any sign of the son of Hesphestus. Finally, a small object, fire enveloping it, falling through the air at top speed catches his eye and the blonde flies towards it. He catches it, ignoring the flames that burn his arms and chest as he flies back to Piper, setting Leo down gently.

Leo looked horrible. His ribs were definitely broken, if the painful wheezing was anything to go by. The clothes he wore were no more than tatters that hung off his thin, bruised frame. More cuts than Jason had ever seen on one human being were oozing blood all over Leo's paling skin.

The child of storm broke down on his best friend's chest and his heart nearly stopped as he felt it stop moving under his cheek.

The daughter of love was bawling behind him when suddenly, she gasped and searched her pockets for something.

"J-Jason!" She stuttered as she withdrew a vial of clear liquid from her pocket. "The Physians Cure!"

"Oh my gods!" He snatches it from his girl friend's hand and trickles it into Leo's mouth, his hand shaking wildly. "Please work."

Leo coughs weakly and his chest begins to rise and fall with each puff of breath, but he doesn't fully wake.

Jason wants to cry but he can't because he can't risk Leo dying on him a second time with all of the life threatening injuries that the small boy substained. Picking him up bridal style, Jason races over to the Infirmary and lies Leo in a cot as Will screams for immediate medical attention on the young mechanic.

* * *

The seven seated themselves outside the Infirmary after the battle and more and more people joined them as the day goes on: Nyssa, Harley, Chiron, Nico, even Reyna. Hours went by without any news until Kayla exited the Infirmary with a blinding grin.

"He's stable," she announced and they let out a collective sigh of relief. "We found this in his pocket. We're not sure how it wasn't burned to ashes, but you can ask him when he wakes up. You're free to see him now." She hands Jason an envelope that has a few smears upon it but is in good condition, like it's owner hadn't just been on fire a few hours before.

All of them walked in together and sat by an unconscious Leo's bed as Jason opened the envelope, extracting the letter to read it aloud.

" ** _Dear everyone,_**

 ** _If any of you blame yourselves, I will come back and haunt you (I'm talking to you, Jason, Piper, and Percy)! Anyway, it wasn't your fault; it's fate._**

 ** _I just want you to know that you are the best family I've had since my mom and that's quite an honor in my book. You couldn't have loved me better, but there was no changing my mind from what I was going to do._**

 ** _When I was eight, I promised I'd avenge my mother and I did. I'm happy about that and at least I'll be with her again._**

 ** _Don't feel guilty. I've been gone since I made that promise when I was eight. My fate was sealed the day I was born and there was no stopping my death. Live your lives without wondering what if. Get married, have kids, go to college! I don't care, but be happy. For me._**

 ** _-Leo"_**

"Well," Percy said after a moment of silence, "I don't know about everyone else, but I feel honored."

"You should," Chiron agreed. "Leo is a very unique, but closed off person and for him to open up to you is quite an honor itself."

Piper looks at Leo and leans over to kiss his forehead with a small whispered, "Thank you."

Because he's still here and that's all that matters.

* * *

 _Not as good as I'm With You because I did write it at 3: 30 in the morning (hey, it's summer, I can stay up late!). Feel free to leave character suggestions and I want to know if any one wants me to do on of these fics with a romance between Nico and Leo. Thank you._

-Myra109


End file.
